Ventura County began its existence on January 1, 1873. The act providing for its separation from Santa Barbara County was passed by the state legislature on March 22, 1872. In 1881, however, when the boundary between Las Angeles and Ventura was surveyed, the line followed was not that defined in the code of 1872 but the line of 1856 between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties. By a code amendment adopted in 1919 the boundaries were redefined and changed en the east and north. The city of Ventura has always been the county seat.

The first courthouse was built in 1873, and served the purposes of the county until 1912, when the offices and archives were all moved into the present new building, a beautiful structure erected at a cost of nearly $300,000. The present courthouse is practically fireproof, the window and door frames, and a few wooden fixtures moved over from the old building, mainly in the Clerk's vault, being about the only inflammable materials used.

It has no vaults, except a small one in the Treasurer's office housing a safe, the intention having been to construct the building in so solid a manner that no vaults would be needed. While the courthouse is practically immune from the possibility of a destructive fire from within or without, since it occupies an isolated position on the side of the hill, its windows are of plain glass and, though locked on the inside, can not be said to be particularly proof against burglary.

The third or attic story is provided with three dry, easily ventilated storerooms, labeled in this report as Recorder's, Clerk's and Sheriff's storerooms. The windows in the Clerk's storeroom are screened to keep out the bats and other undesirable inhabitants of public record rooms. Ventura County citizens may well be proud of their courthouse; it is the best sort of insurance against the irreparable loss of those records that must ever be the main source of the county's history.
The archives of this county were examined during June, 1916.

Ordinance Book, 1883-date, 2 v. (1-2) ; Index, 1 v.
"Record of the Proceedings of the Board of Commissioners
appointed . . . 1872 to perfect the organization of the
County of Ventura."

This is in the handwriting of Thomas R. Bard, Clerk of the Board, later
U. S. Senator from California.

Road Register, 1873-1889, 2 v.

MISCELLANEOUS RECORDS

Office Routine and General Duties
Bonds, 1873-date, 2 v.

These are samples pasted in scrapbooks.
"Clerk's Order Book," 1891-1902, 1 v.. in Clerk's storeroom.
Fee Books, 1873-date, 11 v.
These include 4 volumes of Clerk's and Recorder's fee books, 1873-1887, all in Ihe Recorder's storeroom. Vols. 1-4, 18S8-1908, are in the Clerk's storeroom.
Hunting Licenses, 1913-1914,
Applications that have come in during 1912 and after are in the Clerk's storeroom.
Map, Index, n.d., 1 v.
Military Duty, Persons subject to. 1873, 1 v., in Recorder's store-
room.
Military Roll, 1889-1900, 12 v.

The six volumes for 1889-1894 are bound.
Naturalization
Citizenship, Certificates of. 1873-1879: 1903, 2 v., only three entries.
Declarations of Intention, 1873-1879 ; 1907-date, 3 v.
These are in Petitions for Naturalization, 1907-date.

Relating to Other Officers
Expert 's Reports to Grand Jury, 1914, 1915, 2 v.
Justice Court Dockets, Saticoy township, 1893-1899, 1903-1906.
1904-1905, 3 v., in Clerk's storeroom. Justice Court Dockets, Ventura township. 1862-1871, 1873-date.
45 v.
The two volumes for 1862-1871 are in Spanish and preserved in the Clerk's storeroom. The Justice Court records for thn years preceding 1ÎXKÎ appear to have been destroyed by the retiring justice. All the records, excepting those of felony cases, which arc in the Clerk's vault. have been preserved in the Justice's office since liKXi.
Notarial Records, 1878-1912, passim, 19 v.
Seventeen books are in Clerk's storeroom, one in the Clerk's vault, and one in the Hecorder's storeroom.

It is located near 1'iru, Ventura County. The photos are by Brewster.
Requisitions, 1889-1891, 1 v.. in Recorder's storeroom; Stubs, 1891
1901, 1903-1904, in p.h., in Recorder's storeroom. School Directories, 1903-date, 1 p.h. School district records, 1891-date, 82 f.b.
These records contain teachers' reports, trustees' appointments, and election certificates, claims, orders, and the official acts of the superintendents.
School District Registers, 1883-1902. 6 v., for Sisar, Live Oak, Alamo districts.
Besides these, there are also to he found in the Recorder's storeroom a Sisar school district .Journal. 1893-1894, an Alamo Trustees' Record. 18.X8-1899, Rincon Librarian's Record, 1891-1892, and a Live Oak District Record, 1889-1900.
School Warrants, 1873-date.
Nine volumes are in the Superintendent's office, the remainder in the
Auditor's office and the Recorder's storeroom.

This volume is made up of copies of the superintendent's report to the
State Board.

Trustees' Orders, 1889-date.
In packages, unbound, practically complete. A few for 1897-1901, and 1898-18!19 are in the Recorder's storeroom.
Trustees' Records, 1891-date, 1 v.
Warrants on Auditor, 1893-1895, 1897, in p.h., in Recorder's storeroom.

To His Excellency, William D. Stephens, Governor, Sacramento, California

Sir, herewith is presented the "Guide to the County Archives of California," which is the product of one phase of the activities of this commission in its working of making a survey of material on local history within the state.

"Most of the field work was accomplished during the years 1916 and 1917. The date when each court house was examined is stated in the introduction accompanying each report for that particular county...."